


Forgiveness

by crystalsnowflakes



Series: Chance Meetings [2]
Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997), Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: F/M, Family, Family Secrets, Forgiveness, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, Past Infidelity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-12
Updated: 2020-10-09
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:01:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 15,193
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26416849
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crystalsnowflakes/pseuds/crystalsnowflakes
Summary: Two years later, Yuffie and Reno are still dealing with the consequences of the string of bad decisions they've made—he just wants her to be happy and she still carries a strong burden of guilt.A chance meeting in a small neighbourhood of Edge allows Yuffie the opportunity to seek forgiveness and recover what she’s lost.[Sequel to "Infidelity"]
Relationships: Elena/Tseng (Compilation of FFVII), Tifa Lockhart/Rude, Yuffie Kisaragi/Reno
Series: Chance Meetings [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1900996
Comments: 48
Kudos: 11





	1. Elena

Elena couldn’t help the spring in her step as they walked through this small homey neighbourhood of Edge that she had never visited before. Rufus’ secretary had insisted that there was a really good sushi restaurant right in this newly growing part of the city and she had been unable to resist dragging Tseng along. This was their first lunch scheduled together in over a week and it was the perfect weather to walk in.

A gentle breeze blew through her hair and past her neck and the sun shone brightly, reflecting off the diamond ring that she couldn’t stop staring at every few steps. She could hear Tseng snort in mild amusement, glad that such a little thing was able to give her such happiness. Looking at him from the corner of her eyes, she couldn’t help but smile and admire the way his broad shoulders fit his suit, or the way his hair flowed down his shoulders or even the way he looked at her. Even after almost a decade of staring at him, she didn’t think she'd ever get enough.

The sudden joyful screaming of children interrupted her thoughts and she looked towards the playground, a gentle smile on her face. The summer days would be ending soon and while the weather in Edge didn’t change much throughout the seasons, the children would be returning back to their daily school routines shortly. She looked up at the azure sky and wispy clouds and she didn’t think that she would ever get used to the boundlessness of it all. There were days she still looked up and expected to see the steel sky and it took her awhile to realize that it had been fourteen years since Meteor had struck.

“This is such a nice neighbour. We should consider getting a place here, Tseng,” she said, shooting the dark-haired man a smile.

Tseng had stopped in his tracks with an indecipherable look on his face before his lips curved up ever so slightly. “You’re not the only one that thinks so.”

With a confused ‘huh’, she spun around to take a look at what he was staring at. Her eyes wandered through the playground before settling itself on a bench and she couldn’t really tell why it caught his gaze because it was just a parent supervising their child. But then she recognized the familiar languid posture, the amused smirk and the vivid red hair tied in that familiar way.

With her breath caught in her throat, she turned around towards Tseng with wide eyes. “Is that…?”

Tsend nodded imperceptibly, his eyes narrowed as he scanned the rest of the playground.

“Why…” she trailed off, her brain trying to catch up to the image in front of her. “Has he been in Edge all along?”

Two years ago, Reno had come back from a mission up in Icicle Inn and asked for a week of R&R. Rufus had approved the leave even though it had been strange because Reno _never_ asked for time off, preferring to throw himself into his work. But when his leave ended, he had just ceased to return to work. His accounts had been emptied and he had practically left everything of his at his apartment with the exception of a few Turk-issued handguns and his nightstick. A resignation letter had been mailed to Rufus later in the week and since then, he had basically fallen off the face of Gaia. They had tried to look for him, but Reno had gotten a headstart and had been meticulous about covering his tracks and had just...disappeared.

It was clear he hadn’t wanted to be found, and as his friends, they had reluctantly followed his wishes. Over the weeks and months, she had wondered whether Reno had finally messed up so bad that he had to pack his bags and _run,_ but looking at him now, she had to consider whether he had been running from _them_ instead.

Reno was cupping his hands around his mouth to shout something, but they were far away that his voice was indiscernible and Elena’s eyes roamed through the playground again, still unable to pick out the individual who he was communicating with.

Part of her debated on just walking away with Tseng, but the more inquisitive part of her wanted to walk up to him to ask him what the hell he had been thinking, leaving them without any answers, and didn’t they deserve it, having put up with his shit for years? It seemed like Tseng was also curious, because his gaze hadn’t left the ex-Turk.

“I’m gonna go talk to him,” Elena spoke, determined. “He owes us _some_ answers.”

Tseng’s head tilted just slightly. "I’m not sure we’ll get any. I wasn’t sure he was ever able to stop being a Turk to start with and he left without a word.”

“It _was_ kinda strange… Do you think he was coerced?” she asked, even though she wasn’t sure she believed it even for a moment. The redhead in front of her looked relaxed. Happy. Although maybe a little bored.

Tseng shook his head slowly. “We combed through all the files he had worked on the past year and there was nothing that he couldn’t have handled by himself. Whatever the reason, it was personal.”

They strode around the park and approached him from the side, but even before they reached him, she knew he was aware of their presence because he had slid over on the bench, leaving enough room for the two of them to settle down.

“Chief. ‘Lena,” he greeted with a small smirk, his eyes never leaving the playground. “What brings you ‘round this neighbourhood?”

Elena studied his outfit, never having seen him out of his navy suit in all the years she had known him, secretly pleased to see his concealed weapon hidden under his blazer. He was wearing a pair of casual beige slacks and a light blue semi-buttoned and untucked dress shirt along with a navy blazer and she couldn’t help the small smile from forming on her lips. Reno was always going to be Reno. He looked overdressed for the playground, but even so, he seemed to fit right in.

“Heard there was a good sushi restaurant nearby,” Elena explained, sitting down beside him.

Reno glanced at her fingers briefly before he sat up, his smirk widening as he glanced between the two of them, “Congrats, man!” Then he snickered as he added, “You too, ‘Lena.”

“Thank you, Reno,” Tseng uttered, sitting down next to Elena who had shot Reno a glare.

There was an awkward silence and it was clear to Elena that Reno wasn’t about to share anything unless they asked, and even then, he might not answer. “How are you? And what are you doing here, Reno?”

He took his hands out of his pockets and leaned forward in his seat, his eyes back on the playground, before he answered, “I’m good. Life’s a little dull.” His right hand fidgeted with the ring in his left hand and Elena had a feeling that he had deliberately directed their attention onto that. “We live here. We’ve been here the past two years.”

“We?” Elena probed, her nosiness piqued, “Who’s we?” It was a wedding ring, surely, but she definitely felt a little irritated that she hadn’t been invited to the wedding.

“My family,” Reno responded with a grin and she _knew_ he was being deliberately difficult on purpose. And then as if he could _really_ read her mind even after all these years, he added with a roguish raise of his eyebrow, “Relax, 'Lena. There wasn’t a wedding. Don’t be so pouty.”

He did really seem happy, which was a far cry from his first marriage to Tifa. She loved them each individually and they had gotten along well and she had been happy for them, but something wasn't quite...right. So when they had announced their divorce a year down the road, nobody had been completely shocked.

“Who’s the poor gal?” she asked, because if Tifa, who Elena really thought was the perfect woman, hadn’t been able to make Reno happy, who was this saint of a woman?

Reno shrugged and it made Elena wonder if this woman had been the reason why Reno had upped and left.

Before the conversation could continue, a child had ricocheted across the playground and into Reno’s arms. Reno, seemingly having to expect such an attack, flexed his core to absorb the blow and wasn’t the least bit winded. He merely ruffled the child’s hair as he continued to listen to the constant string of words that escaped his mouth, giving the occasional grunt or nod to respond.

Elena could only gape, her eyes studying the child who was no doubt Reno’s because those hazel-green eyes gave it away. It didn’t help that his dark brown hair was cut exactly the same way, right down to the messy ponytail in the back. She heard Tseng’s sharp intake of breath and it was obvious that he was just as every bit as shocked as her.

When the child finally stopped rambling, he raised an eyebrow towards the two suited companions. "You know them, dad?”

Reno chuckled, “Sure, kid. This is ‘Lena and Tseng. They’re friends.”

“You have friends?” he looked up at his dad skeptically. “Thought the only one who could stand you was mom.”

“Well, he sure has your attitude,” Elena muttered under her breath, earning a deep laugh from Reno. “We used to work with your dad. What’s your name?”

“Axel,” the child responded with an impish grin and Elena could _swear_ she had seen that grin before somewhere. “You work for Shinra then? Dad used to work for Shinra.”

Tseng seemed to have the same idea as Elena because he peered towards the child. "You're a smart kid. Your parents taught you well. Do you know your mom's name?"

Reno's lips twitched upwards as Axel looked almost _offended_ at Tseng's question. He half- _sneered_ at Tseng as he replied, "Do you think I'm an idiot? I'm _seven._ Of course I know my mom's name. Her name’s Kimiko."

Elena saw the first-in-command's lips twitch either in pain or amusement and she suspected it was because Reno was the only person in the world to ever talk to Tseng with such disrespect. It stood to reason that the second one would be his son.

"Manners," Reno reminded his son, although he was clearly amused and didn't care much, only reminding the child out of obligation.

"Definitely your son," Elena grumbled, earning a small shoulder shove from Reno.

Tseng looked thoughtful as he murmured to himself, studying the young Reno lookalike. "Kimiko. It means ' _Empress'._ "

A loud bark of laughter escaped Reno, surprising Elena for just a moment. "Is that what it _actually_ means? She told me, but I didn't quite believe her." He shook his head, a wide grin on his face.

Elena felt like she was clearly missing something, because Tseng was staring at Reno meaningfully and the ex-Turk was ignoring it on purpose. Regardless, Elena looked at Reno with a genuine smile, "I'm glad you're happy. For a while, we thought you were...asked to leave."

The redhead scoffed, "Nobody could've gotten me to leave my job if I didn't wanna."

"It was voluntary, then?" Tseng asked and before Reno could even answer, he continued to talk, "You mentioned life being dull… Mr. President has been looking for help in our department and as you know, good help is hard to find. So if you’re ever interested, let me know."

"He has to go home and ask mom first," Axel spoke up with a grin before trying to whisper discreetly and failing, "She's kinda scary."

Reno ruffled his hair again. "Don't give away my secrets, you twerp." He looked up with a small shrug. "I'll think about it. Gotta ask the missus." Before Elena or Tseng could say anything else, Reno stood up and motioned for Axel to follow along. "Gotta go home for lunch. Was nice seeing you, 'Lena. Chief."

"Likewise," Tseng said, standing up as well.

The two of them watched as Reno crouched down and Axel scrambled up his back to sit atop his shoulders. Before they started walking away, Reno turned around, an uncertain look on his face. "Uh… Don't tell Rude about the kiddo, yea? Wouldn't really want it to get back to Teef." Turning around without waiting for an answer, the child above his shoulders began prattling away, Reno responding with the occasional snarky response and it wasn't long before they walked far enough that Elena could no longer hear their conversation anymore.

"That was…" Elena trailed off for a few moments before she could complete the sentence, "Unexpected. Why do you think he didn't want Rude to know about the kid?"

"You remember how old the kid was?" Tseng asked as he began to walk back to where they had been before being distracted by the ex-Turk.

"He said he was seven, right?" Elena made some quick calculations in her head, stopping in her tracks in shock. "That's how long they've been divorced, right?"

Tseng nodded, his lips thin, "I'm guessing Mr. Casanova wasn't exactly faithful to Ms. Lockhart during their...courtship." Then he added, "Which is extremely surprising, given who his wife is."

Elena whipped her head around to face him. "You know who Reno's wife is?"

"An educated guess," he spoke, motioning with his head for her to continue walking.

It irked her how Tseng seemed to know who the wife was when Elena had no clue at all who it could've been. Clearly, Tseng knew her and it seemed like he was alluding to the fact that Tifa knew her too. The amount of women Tifa hung out with… Elena thought back to Tifa's maid of honour and bridesmaids and knew that it couldn't have been any of them because she was one of them, the other was happily married to Cid Highwind and the last one died much too young. 

She gave him a glare. "I'm guessing you don't plan to share your educated guess?" She huffed a bit before continuing their walk. "You think he's gonna call about the job?"

"Reno is destructive when idle," Tseng said with knowing glint in his eyes, "With a little persuading, I think his wife will agree that the best thing for _him_ is to do what he loves best."

Elena tittered slightly. "And you believe that you're the one who should persuade her. You sound like you know her well." She tried to bait him into talking, although she knew that Tseng was tight-lipped when it mattered and she didn't think she'd have much success, but it never hurt to try.

He didn't take her bait. "The office has been…" he trailed off slightly, his lips quirking up as he completed his sentence, "Quiet."

"You miss him," Elena chortled, her hand slapping his shoulders lightly. "I miss him too. Office life just isn't the same without Reno."

"Although it has been much more productive," he added with a wry smile.

Relieved that she could _finally_ see the outside of the restaurant because her stomach was growling, she grabbed his hand and tugged him faster towards their destination. "Well, things seem to have stopped magically setting themselves on fire," Elena finally said as they grew nearer, "Especially paperwork."

"I was just thinking about how much faster debriefs and meetings go by now," he responded, opening the door to the restaurant.

Just before stepping in, she turned to him and sighed, "Please persuade the wife. Work is a lot duller without him and I'm tired of Rufus rambling on without Reno's snarky comments to keep me entertained. Who would’ve known that I would miss that asshole so much."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As usual, comments and suggestions are very much appreciated!


	2. Tseng

The brightness of the screen in the dark room was starting to strain his eyes and Tseng blinked a few times to try to get rid of the fatigue. The dim under cabinet lights in the open kitchen flickered on suddenly and he noticed Elena in her thin nightgown glancing at him understandingly.

"Tea?" she asked with a small, adorable yawn.

"Yes, please," he responded, his eyes returning back to the screen.

The conversation he had had with Reno a week ago hadn't stopped crossing his mind and it was only now that he received permission to pull up this particular file. He hadn't been at the crime scene, had never seen it with his own eyes, but he recalled thinking that it could be a possible set-up, especially when they had kept the assassination on the down low for a week and nobody had claimed the hit or even asked for ransom. 

When Yuffie Kisaragi's apartment had been discovered to be burnt down in the middle of the night, Reeve had called the Turks to step in, wanting a set of professional eyes to look at the scene. It was clear from the pictures that there had been an altercation because the furniture was upturned, torn and the walls were littered with blood, holes and scratches. It had been a violent and gruesome struggle and it seemed like the late Lady of Wutai had put up a good fight because eight bodies had been left behind. But then her weapon had also been left behind near the puddle of blood that had drag marks towards the windows and he couldn't be so sure that she had survived the ordeal.

Elena placed the mug of hot tea beside him and he thanked her with a nod. She took a brief glance at his screen and sat down next to him, her lips pressed thinly together, her brows scrunched up slightly. "Yuffie's apartment," she murmured. "I was there. It was…" She stopped for a moment. "Reno was at home with Tifa when he got the call and Tifa insisted on coming along."

"That was...unwise," Tseng commented.

Elena nodded bleakly. "I'm not sure it was completely wise of Reeve to request us. Reno was…" she trailed off, "I've never had to really investigate the death of one of our own with a room full of us."

Something about the way Elena said that she was one of their own made him pause… He had never thought about it that way, although he supposed Elena wasn't all that wrong. There weren't many people in the world that had experienced what they had.

It was funny how fate worked.

"How did Reno react?" Tseng asked, his head turned towards Elena.

Her eyes stared into the wall, deep in thought. "He was murderous looking the moment he stepped in. And when he announced that she was most likely taken half-alive or her body was, Tifa broke down and Reno looked like he was...hurting." Elena frowned for a moment. "I always wondered why he cared, cause the two of them never really got along… But I just thought it was because of Tifa?"

"Hn," Tseng uttered, intrigued.

With the way Elena described things, it seemed like even if it had been a setup, Reno had been unaware of it. Reno's child was seven and if that was when _she_ had found out about the pregnancy, it would make sense that she would have run. The timing was right, but Reno had clearly not known about the baby… and he must have not known until that routine mission up North where she must have been hiding.

"Interesting," he murmured again.

Elena studied Tseng's face a little suspiciously. "You must have had to go through Reeve to get permission for this file. Why?" She asked before waving her hands, her mind changed. "Wait. Don't tell me. You were curious about Reno's reaction. So this really had to do with our talk in the park the other day."

Tseng's lip curled up slightly. "Go on."

"But you're also looking into Yuffie, who has been gone for…" She checked the date. "Over eight years." She frowned slightly and Tseng couldn't get over how adorable she looked as he gave her a small peck on the temple and she pushed him away playfully. But then her frown deepened before she looked at him in shock. "Kimiko. _Empress."_ She gasped out loud, " _No."_

"Speculation. Also explains why Reno chose to leave," Tseng said, his voice low.

Elena nodded slowly with her eyes furrowed. "Timing makes sense. But they were so often at each other's throats… Tifa kept telling me how she was so tired of refereeing between them, but now that I think about it, something changed suddenly and Yuffie just stopped showing up for everything, citing Wutai duties. Nobody questioned it at the time, with the arranged marriage and all…”

Before their conversation could continue, his phone rang and he gave her an apologetic glance. Elena merely looked over at his caller ID, rolled her eyes, patted his shoulder lovingly before walking back towards their bedroom.

"Mr. Commissioner," Tseng greeted, "It's midnight. Shouldn't you be at home?"

Reeve's chuckles could be heard, "Thursdays are my late days, or have you forgotten? I noticed you were pulling up Yuffie's...report." There was a bit of a pause and Tseng waited patiently. 

Reeve had always had a soft spot for the young ninja and he had been heartbroken when news of her demise had been confirmed. Tseng knew that the older man had always felt guilty at not being able to protect the Lady of Wutai because he should have insisted on more bodyguards, or insisted she stay at the WRO instead of her own apartment in a sketchy part of Edge. Not that it would have really mattered because that ninja had to be one of the most impulsive and stubborn person he knew, just like a certain redheaded ex-Turk.

“Do you think she ran?” Reeve finally asked. “I’ve always been hopeful that she had decided that royalty life wasn’t for her and just...bolted.” A small sigh was heard and Tseng could imagine him rubbing his temples, his elbows on his desk because he seemed to always be in that position whenever Reno or Yuffie was the matter in question. “It would be so much better than the alternative.”

“I have some suspicions,” Tseng eventually responded. “But don’t keep your hopes up.”

“Keep me updated. Even gone, she’s still adding to my white hair count,” Reeve grunted out exasperatedly.

* * *

Three weeks after their initial visit to the sushi restaurant, Tseng found himself in that same small unassuming neighbour knocking on the door of an apartment suite that he hoped still had residents. There were no security cameras in the district, which Reno must have known, so he had had to do his own surveillance, which he hadn’t done for years. It reminded him of the days when he went out looking for SOLDIER recruits and realizing that it had almost been two decades since then made him feel aged.

Within seconds of knocking, the door opened wide and while he had had his suspicions for weeks, he was still startled to see the young ninja face-to-face. He had expected the ex-Turk. His perceptive gaze studied the woman in front of him and he knew that if he had just walked past her on the streets, he would never, in a million years, believed her to be the same woman he had known. Her disguise was slight, but effective. Her long, dark curls were tied with a thin pink ribbon in a low ponytail and trailed down the front of one of her shoulders. She was in a pair of light blue jean shorts that would allow mobility, if necessary, and a casual sleeveless pink blouse. It wasn’t so different that it would be a hindrance to her, but just enough that nobody who even knew her would take a second look because she looked so _feminine._

“Tseng,” she greeted with a grin—that _same_ impish grin that he had seen on that child’s face three weeks ago. “It’s been a while. I’m surprised it took you so long to make your way over here.” She moved back slightly, allowing him to walk in. “C’mon in. Reno’s walking the kiddo to school, but he’ll be back soon.”

“Thank you.” He gave a slight, semi-formal bow before taking his shoes and walking into the suite, earning a small giggle from the woman who he wasn’t sure what to call.

The entrance of the apartment opened up right into their living room, which shared an open kitchen as well as a dining room and she motioned at him to sit before she busied herself with the stove. Tseng looked at the apartment with curiosity, studying the family portrait that was beside the television, taking note of how clean the toys were put away, surprised that everything was so _normal._ He was suddenly struck by a memory of his childhood when his nose caught the aroma of something he hadn’t smelled in years.

“Green tea,” she explained, placing three steaming mugs down on the dining table. “Reminds me of home.” She was smiling, but her eyes were wistful as she sat down on one of the chairs.

“I haven’t had green tea in years,” Tseng said slowly, joining her at the dining table, closing his eyes as he enjoyed the scent of _home._

She hummed slightly, “I’m not sure how, but Reno manages to get a large box of the good stuff shipped here every so often.” She was staring at the mug, deep in thoughts, before she looked up at him. “I’ve tried to convince him, but he’s not really biting.”

It took him a moment to realize that she was no longer talking about tea.

“Because of you?” Tseng asked, taking a sip, savouring the drink.

She nodded slightly. “Being under the employ of Shinra opens up doors of communications with people in our past…” she trailed off slightly before adding. “My past, specifically.” She grinned wryly. “I didn’t leave in the most pleasant way, even though it was flashy as hell.”

“Hn.”

“He gave up his entire life for me and I was selfish to allow it,” she admitted a little ruefully. “I’ve seen how miserable he’s been without his family. He shouldn’t be going through that. Plus, there’s only so much sparring I can do with him and monster hunts we can go on before Reno gets bored. It’s just not the same as working with you guys.”

Tseng raised his eyebrow in interest. “Monster hunts?”

Before she could clarify, the sound of the lock being turned was heard and she spun her head towards the door.

Reno entered through the apartment with the mere quirk of his brow. “Chief. So glad to see you’re still a goddamn stalker.” He approached the dining table, grazing a peck on the top of her head before settling down on an empty chair. “Whaddya want?”

“He was trying to convince me to convince you to work for Rufus again,” she answered, a small grin on her face. “Told ya he wasn’t gonna let it go that easily.”

Reno sighed a bit, his hands going through his hair as he shot her a slight glare. “We’ve talked about this, Yuff. I’m not—”

She stood up abruptly, glancing at the clock, “Whaddya know? Time to go to work!” Before Reno could get another word in, she had disappeared down into the hallways, reappearing only moments later with a small shoulder wallet bag flung over herself. She had bounced over to Reno, gave him a purposefully loud, wet smooch on the side of his temple, shot a meaningful look at Tseng before slipping on a pair of flats and springing out the door.

Tseng could only blink before looking back at the ex-Turk. “Well, she hasn’t changed much.”

Reno gave a dry snort of laughter. “Yeah. Tell me ‘bout it. Still stubborn as fuck.”

The door slammed open suddenly and Reno didn’t even look surprised as he glanced back in exasperation. “What’d you forget, brat?”

She looked a little shy as her eyes settled on Tseng. “You’ll keep my secret for me, right? I’m not really ready...”

Tseng had never had the intention of sharing any of their information with anyone. He knew it must have been difficult for both of them to drop everything in their own life and just make a new life somewhere else, but he could understand why they had made that decision, especially with a child in the family.

“I am only here to recruit Reno. And I have no doubt that Reno would be more than happy to disappear on us again, which he has proven to me that he _can_ do, and that is the last thing I want to happen,” Tseng finally said after a few moments.

Reno smirked a little smugly and her gaze lingered on Tseng, before finally lowering down, almost in shame. Then she giggled and laughed. “Sorry! I always seem to complicate things.” Throwing him one last grin, she thanked him and closed the door softly behind her.

There was a long stillness between the two of them, neither of them willing to be the first to break the silence, each sipping their tea, their minds on their own thoughts. 

When Tseng finally finished his drink, he glanced at it with slight disappointment before he spoke, “What do you and your wife do for work?”

Reno’s lips quirked up in amusement at his avoidance of using his wife’s name, “Yuffie works at a restaurant in the mornings. I pick up mercenary jobs here and there, sometimes short-term security detail jobs. Whatever pays the bills.” 

Tseng’s eyebrow lifted up in surprise because Rufus had always been generous with their pay and Reno should have had plenty of savings, regardless of the amount he had spent frivolously in bars over the years.

He continued at Tseng’s look of slight confusion. “We try not to dip into our savings in case of emergencies.” Reno smirked at him. “We’ve got a kid. Can’t be too careless now, especially with no job security.”

After a few moments of silence, Tseng stood up, knowing that this would really be entirely Reno’s decision. He had initially thought that his wife would be opposed, but now that it wasn’t the case, he could only let the stubborn man make his choice. Experience told him that the harder he pushed, the harder Reno would push back. “Will I be hearing from you, Reno?” he asked.

Reno looked thoughtful as he stood up from the table as well and he gave a small sigh before finally answering, “I want a trial run and reduced hours.” His green eyes gazed briefly at the family portrait on top of the entertainment cabinet. “I need to know if it’ll work for us, cause my family needs to be top priority.”

Tseng nodded, relieved it wasn’t a rejection. “I’ll have a talk with Mr. President, though I’m sure it won’t be a problem. Thank you for your time.” Walking back towards the door and slipping his feet into his shoes, he said one more thing before he left the confines of the apartment. “I didn’t peg you as a family man, Reno,” he commented with a rare small smile.

"Neither did I, Chief." Reno chuckled. “Neither did I.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhhh! It's been such a gong-show at work this week that I almost forgot to post! Thank goodness for remembering at lunch break.
> 
> Thank you for everyone who read/commented/left kudos. I really appreciate all the support <3


	3. Rude

The skies were gloomy and dark and even with the bright projector screen in Rufus' office being a sharp contrast, Rude's gaze could not stop wandering to the raindrops accumulating on the floor-to-ceiling windows. Not for the first time since the meeting had started, he sighed inwardly, counting down the minutes until he could go home. It had been a dull day and having a long-winded Rufus droning on and on had not been the best way to end the workday. Often, especially during debriefs and meetings, he would think back to his redheaded partner who disappeared abruptly one day and never came back and today was no exception. Reno would have made this meeting much longer, but just that much more entertaining.

"Meeting adjourned," Rufus finally announced and Rude almost gave a satisfied grunt. "Unless anyone else has anything to add?"

Rude was about to stand up when Tseng nodded and the bald man sunk back into his seat, feeling a little defeated. He had promised Tifa a date tonight since the bar was closed on Tuesday and he only hoped that Tseng wouldn't drag the meeting on for too long.

"Our new recruit has accepted the job," Tseng announced, the corners of his lips quirking up almost eagerly, which was something that wasn’t seen on Tseng often. Next to him, Elena sat up a little straighter, a delighted smile on her face.

Rufus quirked up his eyebrow skeptically, his lips drawing into a thin line as he asked, "Is this the one who asked for a trial run and reduced hours? The one you've somehow managed to persuade me to agree to, despite my apprehensions?"

Rude felt his own eyebrow raised up in suspicion. Tseng, who had impeccable work habits, was somehow willing to bend the rules for a new recruit _and_ persuade Rufus to do the same.

"Go ahead. Pull up his credentials," Rufus said with a wave of his hand and a small sigh when he saw Tseng’s slight nod. He massaged his own temple with an imperceptible wince. "You must have a good reason wanting him on the team so badly."

Tseng gave a brief chuckle. "I'm sure none of us will have a problem with his qualifications." He pressed a few buttons on his phone, casting the presentation from there. "Although his work habits and paper filing leave much to be desired.”

Rufus huffed, "Pray tell me why I would want to hire—” He stopped his sentence midway, his eyes widening at the sudden picture projected on the screen.

Rude turned his head around to see what his boss had been so surprised about when he felt his own jaw drop in shock before he found his own voice. "Reno?"

"What's the meaning of this?" Rufus asked, his cold blue eyes staring at Tseng. 

"Elena and I ran into him in Edge. He's been here all along and he was reluctant to accept the job at first, but he has agreed to give it a try as long as we were willing to reduce his hours," Tseng explained.

"In Edge? This whole time?" Rude heard himself asking, surprised. That would have been the last place he had expected to find his ex-partner… which now that he thought about it, made perfect sense for him to hide here. Even so, he couldn't help but feel the unexpected surge of betrayal and hurt that overwhelmed him. They had been _partners_ for years, trusting each other with their lives and then…

And they still trusted each other with their lives, but somewhere along the line, that had changed and Reno had kept more to himself and he wasn't sure when that had started. He knew it hadn't been because of Tifa, because Reno had pulled away years before Rude and Tifa had finally gotten together.

But then he had disappeared without a word and Rude had never figured out why.

"Reno wants reduced hours?" Rufus asked, a little speechless.

"He's got other priorities at the current moment," Tseng explained a little obscurely. "I've asked him to start Monday."

Rufus' eyes didn't leave the projection of Reno's picture. "Did he ever say why he left?"

"No."

Rufus' lips quirked up. "But you know why anyways and you don't plan on sharing," he deducted. "Will you let me know if it's at least a good reason?"

Tseng's eyes glinted in amusement. "What's a good reason for him might not be a good reason for me."

"Fine. Keep your secrets then," Rufus muttered, a little disgruntled. "I'll ask him myself."

* * *

Rude’s eyes studied the way her wine-red eyes shone in the candle light, the way her ebony hair spilled down her face and the way her full lips curved up coyly. He should be enjoying this dinner, but all his mind would think about was their meeting earlier in Rufus’ office regarding their ‘new’ recruit, Reno.

He remembered the way Reno had approached him, asking him if it would be okay if he had started going out with Tifa. Apparently his incessant and facetious flirting with the barmaid had paid off unintentionally and Tifa had agreed to a date. Rude, who had loved Tifa from afar for years, who never would have thought that Tifa would have ever looked his way, had agreed because who was he to stand in the way of his partner and someone he was interested in?

At first, he noticed the little positive changes in his partner. He had stopped barhopping when he started preferring to hang out at Seventh Heaven, then he stopped picking up random women and Rude had been _genuinely_ happy for his friend. Tifa and Reno seemed to have a fun and relaxed relationship and Reno had been enjoying the experience because he had never truly committed himself to a woman fully before, and Reno _knew_ that Tifa wasn’t the type of woman you could have a fling with. To the surprise of anyone who knew him, he had willingly given up his bachelor life, but Rude also suspected that that was where the problem started. Tifa had started pushing for marriage and children and instead of talking through it like a normal adult and letting her know that he wasn’t ready, Reno, worried that he was going to mess up, had dove head first, proposing after a little over two years of dating.

That was when the cracks started showing, at least, that was how it had seemed like to Rude. Reno was often frustrated at work and had started hanging out at other bars a night or two a week, relaxing a bit more on the nights he was away from Tifa’s sight. There were a few times Rude had wanted to talk to Reno about it, but he didn’t want Reno to take it the wrong way because even then, he had secretly pined for Tifa.

But something about that engagement party had pushed Reno off the edge that none of them had been able to attend. They had agreed earlier to celebrate the after-party at Rude’s and Reno had been the first to show up to his apartment, but he was already piss drunk and Rude didn’t think he could ever forget the look of confusion and distress on his face and the words that followed.

_“I fucked up so badly, man. I think I’m making a huge fuckin’ mistake.”_

When Reno had sobered up, he had clammed back up, refusing to share anymore and he’d be a lot more careful not to get completely drunk. In the end, he had followed through with the wedding that ended up in a divorce after just over a year and he hadn’t seemed too surprised or upset when it had ended. And then he had vanished without a trace two years ago.

“A gil for your thoughts?” Tifa asked as she took a sip of wine, her eyes studying his face curiously with just a hint of worry on her face. “You’re quiet, but you’re not usually _this_ quiet. Did something happen at work?”

Rude debated hiding the truth from her for a moment but decided against it because he was sure she would find out about it sooner or later, especially with Elena, who still hadn’t gotten over her tendency to overshare. “We’ve hired a new recruit,” Rude finally spoke slowly, and at her quizzical gaze, he clarified, “It’s Reno.”

“Is he back?” Tifa asked after taking a few moments to think.

Rude picked up his wine glass and took a quick sniff before shaking his head. “Apparently he’s been in Edge this whole time and he would only accept the job if there were reduced hours. Chief has been vague about the whole thing and would only say that Reno has other priorities right now.”

“Here?” Tifa blinked in surprise. “This whole time? And would it kill Tseng to be less mysterious?”

“I have a feeling that he’s protecting Reno’s secret,” he confessed. “Not that I have proof that it’s a secret. And it would make sense that Reno would hide here, in Edge. It would be the last place we would look, the sneaky bastard.”

She laughed slightly. “You’re just annoyed he outsmarted you. It’s just...so strange how he just left for two years out of nowhere and now he’s willing to come back. Who was he hiding from?”

Rude shrugged, but then he reached his hand on the table and grasped her hands in his. “I have a favour to ask.”

“You want to ask him to come to the wedding?” Tifa asked, a smile on her face.

“Only if it doesn’t bother you,” Rude insisted, “I’m not sure if he will even show up, but…”

“I understand,” Tifa nodded. “He’s your friend, even though he’s been gone for two years. It honestly doesn’t bother me because if there’s anyone it should bother, it’s _you."_ She took one more sip of wine, “Now that we’ve settled _that,_ let’s stop talking about my ex-husband, okay?"

Rude’s lips quirked up and he knew he should thank the lucky stars that Reno had decided that marrying Tifa was a huge fucking mistake.

* * *

He couldn’t gather his courage to call his old partner until Sunday afternoon. He had gotten the phone number off of Tseng days ago, but even so, everytime he thought about calling, it filled him with dread and unease. But he also knew that if he didn’t call today, he would see him in person first thing tomorrow morning in the Shinra building, and that might have been even more awkward, especially if anyone mentioned Rude getting married to his ex-wife.

When the dial tone stopped, all Rude could hear was loud, obnoxious music in the background until the phone was shuffled and a familiar voice answered, _“Yo.”_ Even so, he could hear that Reno’s attention wasn’t totally on the call. _“Reno.”_

He said the first thing that came to his mind. “Congratulations on the job, partner.”

There was a moment of silence from his voice as the music continued playing in the back. _“Rude!”_ He felt a small pang of disappointment because he didn’t think Reno had called him by his name in years. As Reno talked into the phone, Rude could tell that he was preoccupied because there were a lot of scuffing noises going on. _“Wasn’t expectin’ a call from you. Wait, just gimme a sec… It’s so fuckin’ loud in here,”_ he grumbled.

Rude could hear a child in the background talking about a swear jar and Rude’s eyebrows rose because he realized that the background noise was the sound of a game and he had caught Reno playing video games with a _child._

 _“Oh sh-crap. Yeah, yeah, kid. Just don’t tell mom.”_ There were a few more seconds of moving before Reno called out again, _“Gonna be on the balcony, babe."_ Rude could hear a woman responding ‘kay’ in the back before the sound of a door opening and closing shut was heard. _“Shit, sorry. I’m_ finally _ready,”_ Reno said with a jokingly exasperated tone.

Rude’s brain broke briefly at the prospect that Reno had a _family._ “Was that your wife and kid?” he probed.

 _"Heh,"_ was his only response. Not a denial nor an admission.

Rude wondered briefly if that had been the secret Tseng had hid from them, but that didn't really make much sense since Reno didn't seem like he was trying to hide it much. And it would be simple enough to prove that Reno had a family. What was Tseng hiding for him?

"How have you been?" Rude finally asked, feeling a little strange and _awkward_ because he couldn't remember the last time he had to get his partner to talk. Reno usually filled the silence on his own without much help.

Reno took a deep breath before talking. _"Things are just peachy. Just a little nervous 'bout work tomorrow,"_ he said truthfully. _"Been awhile since I've stepped foot in the buildin', y'know?"_

The bald man shook his head, a small smile on his face. "Nothing has changed. I'm not sure you'll be relieved or bothered by that." He frowned slightly, feeling like something was off with his breathing and lack of a lighter flicking. "Did you quit smoking?" he asked, a little skeptical.

Reno gave a loud bark of laughter. _"Can't believe you figured that out without lookin'. How you been? Things goin' alright?"_

"Actually, Tifa and I are getting married a couple weekends from now. We would like to invite your family, if they'd like to attend," Rude offered, glad that Reno had somehow given him the opportunity to bring up this particular topic.

 _"Congrats, man!”_ Reno cheered. _"Thanks for the invite, but I dunno, man… Wouldn't it be weird or somethin'?"_ He paused for a brief moment before continuing. “Boss _gettin' hitched anytime soon too?"_

The corner of Rude's lips curled up ever so slightly. "Boss works too hard to meet anyone. We would love to see you at the wedding. I'll send you the details."

_"Thanks. I'll think 'bout it, partner."_

Rude couldn't help but feel pleased when he heard Reno call him partner. "Glad to have you back, partner. The office has been quiet without you."

* * *

When Rude arrived to work on the latter shift and noticed the navy suited lanky man in his usual chair, his feet propped up on his desk, his arms behind his head while teasing the blond woman ceaselessly, it almost seemed like the last two years hadn't existed. 

"Partner," Reno greeted as the bald man walked past to get to his desk. 

Rude could only raise his eyebrow at the small yellow figurine wearing a red wig and navy suit sitting atop the redhead's desk. At the exact same moment, he noticed the polished wedding ring in his left hand.

Reno's cheekbones pinkened slightly as he noticed his partner’s gaze on the toy. "It's my good luck charm," he muttered defensively with slight embarrassment, but the look of joy and pride in his face was unmistakable. "I've been ordered to keep it on me at all times."

Rude chuckled, his voice low. "It's good seeing you, partner."

The next time Reno went on a routine mission with Elena, Rude noticed the figurine missing from his desk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As usual, thank you for reading and the support/comment/kudos! I really appreciate it and it really encourages me to write! :)
> 
> Have a great weekend! <3


	4. Tifa

She had wanted a nice, relaxing wedding that was casual and fun that everyone could enjoy, including herself. Tifa's last wedding had been expensive and extravagant and had been everything she ever dreamed about for a wedding as a little girl but she had spent the entire day worrying about everything running smoothly and on time. It didn't help that the groom had disappeared god-knows-where for twenty minutes due to his nerves. 

Thinking back, Tifa had wished the groom had stayed anxious and they had cancelled the wedding, because that had been a mistake. Over the years, she had realized it had been _her_ who wanted the marriage more than anything. If only her younger self was a smarter woman.

She walked around, greeting and socializing with friends who were gathered around the canapés while being served cocktails and not for the first time, she praised herself for deciding on such a laid-back wedding. This was nothing like what she had experienced last time and she would make sure to let Elena know that this was the way to go. Her steps faltered briefly as her mind flashed involuntarily to the two women in her life whose lives ended just too soon.

Before her darker thoughts could overwhelm her, she felt the familiar hands of her _husband_ on the small of her back and she looked up to him, smiling. "Hey, you."

Rude leaned down for a kiss. "Reno arrived."

"Oh?" Tifa asked, a little surprised. That had been unexpected. "Do you mind if I go and talk to him?"

Rude's brows furrowed. "Of course not. Why would I?"

Tifa shook her head, tucking a few pieces of loose hair behind her ear, glad that she had somehow found a man like Rude that was so understanding and kind even after all these years. She walked over to the entrance, waving to Cloud and Vincent who were chatting quietly in the corner of the room before catching sight of _him._

He was in a casual grey blazer and slacks, his white dress shirt unbuttoned and untucked, as usual. His red hair was tied in his usual ponytail and his green eyes were focused on his phone as he typed a text quickly. His lips were quirked up ever so slightly in a...smile?

Tifa could understand why she had been attracted to him in the first place, because truth be told, he really was a handsome man with his chiseled jaw and blazing eyes. She remembered when he flirted shamelessly and she had _known_ that Reno was doing it out of fun, but she had been lonely and had taken him up on his offer of a date. She had been on plenty of dates with other men, men who didn't experience what _they_ had experienced and none of them had been…pleasant. But being with Reno was exciting and comfortable and she realized now that she had been suffocating and he had been too kind to tell her he didn't want a marriage or kids.

At least not with her.

"Reno," she greeted with a smile.

Reno looked up, slightly startled, before he placed his phone in his pocket and his smile morphed into a smirk. "Tifa. It's been a while. Congratulations."

"Thanks!" she tilted her head slightly. "Do you think we can talk?"

He blinked, a little surprised at her request, but nodded nonetheless. "Sure thing. Can't say no to the bride. Lead the way."

She brought him to a slightly quieter spot at the restaurant balcony. There were a few groups out here, but none who were close enough to overhear. She studied him for a moment and he didn't say anything, choosing to raise one eyebrow instead. Finally, after a few long seconds, she grinned. "We’re just glad you're okay. Rude was really worried when you left. He tells me you've adapted well to the job."

His smirk widened in amusement as he leaned against the railing of the balcony. "You mean the job I've done for over half my life?"

She laughed, "When you put it that way, it really makes you sound old."

"Heh. I'm not gettin' any younger, that's for sure."

She leaned against the railing to mimic him and tilted her head as she looked at him again, a small, satisfied smile on her face. "I'm glad to see you found what you were looking for."

At one point in time, she had truly loved this man and she was glad that he had managed to find some form of happiness. When they had decided on having a divorce, she hadn't been worried about herself, but of him. She wasn't sure if he would allow himself to love again.

Reno snorted. "Who said I was lookin' for anything?"

She cupped his face with one of her hands and tilted down his face to face her and she could tell he had to force himself not to pull away. "I was married to you for a year, Reno. I'd like to think I knew you a _little_ bit. But we're glad to see you happy." She paused a bit before she decided to push slightly for answers because Rude had told her that Reno had been tight-lipped about his personal life. "I'd like to meet her," she said as she lowered her hand from his cheek to his left hand, her fingers brushing lightly against his wedding band.

He took a while to respond and when he did, his gaze was far and not focused on her. "We'll see.”

"What's she like?" Tifa asked, grinning slightly.

Reno chuckled. "You're persistent, I’ll give you that. I've forgotten that 'bout you."

* * *

It was a complete coincidence that she had run into them.

Marlene was meeting her boyfriend at the mall and since Rude was scheduled to work and Tifa had a few things that she had planned on picking up anyways, Marlene had insisted they walk to the newly built mall together. They had split up upon arrival, promising to see each other for dinner and Tifa had wandered into a gil store to buy little household items that she was running low on. Deciding that she was at the mall anyways, she went to do some window shopping and bought a few casual tops for Rude since he was still adapting to wearing something other than his navy suit on his days off.

By nearly noon, she had been starving and had decided to get a drink and a bite to eat and had gone to the coffee shop right by the entrance of the mall, having planned to leave right after her lunch.

She didn’t catch sight of them until they had already passed her, but his red hair was unmistakable, and even to the mall, he had worn his slacks and blazer. At least he wasn’t wearing his Turk suit to the mall like Rude.

Tifa’s eyes zoomed in on the mysterious woman whose identity no one, except maybe Tseng and Elena, knew. She couldn’t help but notice the way she was constantly moving, because one second, she was holding onto Reno's hands, then she would clutch at his arm, or she would twirl away to look at something that had caught her eye. Reno seemed used to her antics and merely took everything in stride, his arm seemingly being able to read her mind.

The lively woman’s curly ponytail bounced around often, sending a thin pink ribbon fluttering behind her head. She was wearing a white chiffon top, jean shorts and a pair of flats and looked so casually dressed next to Reno that it looked a little amiss. Finally, it seemed that her husband had tired of her flittering and he had clamped his arm down around her shoulder and she merely relaxed as she leaned up against his arm.

She must have been tiny because next to him, she looked small, and while Reno had always been tall, he was not _that_ tall.

Something about the way they were so familiar with each other made her feel a sudden pang, and it wasn’t out of jealousy, but Reno had never been so comfortable around her. They would always walk side by side, his hands in his pockets and hand holding on the rare occasion, and not for the first time, Tifa couldn’t understand why she hadn’t foreseen their relationship falling apart.

Reno whispered something in the woman’s ear and they stopped in their steps with Reno looking around—Tifa decided to wave because she knew she would get found out anyways. Reno had a ridiculous sixth sense about being watched and she supposed it came with the job because Rude was just as good at it too. He had whispered a few more things in her ears, with her shaking her head and him kissing her on the top of her head gently before she walked off, her mood suddenly a lot more solemn.

Tifa tilted her head in confusion as Reno approached and the woman continued to walk away. When he sat down in the empty chair across her, his expression was more serious than she had expected from a run in the mall. Her mind involuntarily wandered to the night when he had brought up the idea of divorce because that had been the same look on his face.

She forced her mind away from that particular memory, because as right as it was for them to make that choice, it still _hurt_. “What is it, Reno? You realize your wife is walking away, right?”

He shrugged a bit. “I’ll go find her in a bit. I’ve gotta settle something with you first.” His feet were tapping the ground rapidly, his fingers fidgeting and Tifa realized he was _nervous_ and she felt her own anxiety rise, but she gave him time to finish his thoughts nonetheless. Finally, he sighed and stared right at her, his lips pressed in a grim line. “There’s no way to make it sound good, but I wasn’t faithful with you.”

Tifa swallowed the unexpected lump in her throat because she had suspected all these years, but never gotten confirmation—never _wanted_ confirmation. Part of her wanted to ask who it was, because she knew Reno had changed his ways soon after they had started dating, but part of her was afraid to ask. She nodded slowly, blinking away the mist over her eyes. “I had a feeling. Since the engagement party?”

Reno hid his shock well, but she could still see it in the tenseness of his shoulders, surprised that she had managed to pinpoint it.

“I don’t know who it was and I just assumed it was someone from the party because you were different after that night,” Tifa said, her voice soft. “I've had a long time to think about our marriage and what we could have done better so that my next one wouldn’t fail just as spectacularly." She paused slightly before speaking again, “It’s been seven years since we’ve been divorced, Reno.”

He ran his hands through his hair in frustration. “I was loyal to you for—”

“I know,” Tifa interrupted, a small sad smile on her face. “I just wish we could have learned to communicate better because it would have saved us both a lot of heartbreak.” Her hands laid down on his comfortingly. “She must’ve been pretty special to you, huh?”

She could tell he was still hiding something and she gave him time to put his thoughts into words. “She’s pretty special,” he finally settled on. “She tried to avoid me, knowing I was taken. But I can be pretty persuasive, y’know.” Tifa knew. Reno was stubborn, if nothing else, once he got his mind set on something. But she could also tell that he was trying to take the blame for his unfaithfulness. It was almost sweet how he was being so protective of this mysterious woman—if only she wasn’t feeling the sudden onslaught of bitterness.

“Why are you digging this up now?” Tifa asked finally, retracting her hand as they clenched together and she felt her nails digging into her palms slightly.

His fingers continued to tap on the table top and Tifa had the urge to smack it away, but she stilled her hands. “I’ve been back to work for almost a month and I planned to stay, but that means that you’ll inevitably see each other,” he finally explained.

Tifa realized that after all these years, she would figure out who the other woman was and it filled her with both relief and dread. “You stayed with her all these years?”

“No,” Reno responded sharply as he shook his head. "I was faithful during our marriage… she made sure of it,” he said, perhaps a little resentfully. “We got back together two years ago. I just need to know that you won’t give her a hard time, Tifa. I know it’s a bitter pill for you to swallow, but she regrets it more than you can understand.”

She didn’t speak for a long time, part of her wanting to throw her iced coffee over his head because he was asking _her_ to not give the other woman a hard time. But the compassionate part of her, both a curse and a strength, stopped her in her tracks because something _still_ didn’t add up, and she had a feeling she was still being kept in the dark. 

“I’ll try not to,” Tifa finally promised, “It’s been eight years, but still, you’re right, it’s a bitter pill to swallow. Is that why you left Shinra? Because of her?”

He ignored her question. “I think she wants to apologize to you, one day.” He nodded to her before standing up and leaving.

And Tifa couldn’t stop the unexpected tears from falling because even though she _knew_ they hadn’t been compatible, it _hurt_ that he had chosen someone else over her. She noticed a little dolefully that he had never once apologized for cheating on her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Early chapter this week, but only because I may be too preoccupied to upload this weekend (adulting life is hard…). Hopefully, I’ll have time to edit and upload another chapter though! :)
> 
> Thanks for all the support, as usual <3


	5. Reno

Days turned into weeks, and weeks into months, and while Reno had initially had trouble settling back down into his normal routine, that went away slowly. He was sure he was the only husband in the world who had a wife who insisted he go to bars after work, which was where he found himself every Thursday evening.

Yuffie enjoyed the quiet Thursday evenings at home once Axel went to bed and she would read a book with a cup of green tea until he got home. She had been so supportive since he had rejoined the company—Reno couldn’t help but be constantly surprised at how mature she was. He supposed that the six years living alone had forced her to grow up much quicker than she needed to. Their relationship was a lot less explosive than he thought it would have been, since both their tempers had calmed down significantly when compared to when they had first gotten together all those years ago.

Rude was currently making goo-goo eyes at Tifa and Reno had promptly told them to get a room, earning a playful smack on the shoulder from the barmaid. It had taken Tifa a few weeks to readjust to having Reno back, especially after he had admitted to his unfaithfulness but in the end, Reno was stubborn and hadn’t stopped pestering the barmaid, and things went back to as normal as they could.

His phone on the table rang and the name ‘Kimiko’ flashed across the screen.

“Wifey’s calling!” Elena sang with a giggle and Reno could feel Rude and Tifa’s curious gaze on him. He didn’t know how, but Elena had somehow managed to keep her mouth shut and not leak the identity of who his wife was, but it didn’t stop her from being annoying anytime his wife called, or when his wife was mentioned. He swatted her shoulder and cast a glare her way before sliding sideways out of the seat, making sure not to answer within their hearing vicinity. He was sure it wasn’t even Yuffie who was calling anyways.

Exiting through the backdoor to the bar, he answered the call and placed the phone to his ear. “Hey kiddo.”

_“Dad! Are you out with your friends again?”_ his excited voice rang out.

“Did your mom feed you sugar again?” he asked with a snort of laughter.

He could hear Axel’s pout through the phone. _“I tried to get her to gimme that bag of gummy bear you got, but she said I was only allowed to eat them on the nights you’re home.”_

“Course your mom would say that,” Reno grumbled lightheartedly and his ears picked up the sound of the backdoor opening but he continued with the conversation, realizing that if he continued at Shinra, he could only hide his child’s existence for so long. Tifa’s curious gaze met his and she held up a bag of garbage with a smile, but Reno saw straight through her tricks and rolled his eyes. “I’ll be home soon, but mom’s walking you to school tomorrow, yeah? I’ve gotta head to work early tomorrow.”

_“I’ll see you in the morning though, right?”_ Axel asked. Reno knew Axel hated it when he didn’t get to see him first thing in the morning.

Tifa had thrown out the garbage and was blatantly eavesdropping now.

“I’ll make you your favourite pancakes,” Reno promised, “But you gotta head to bed now if you’re gonna wake up on time. Tell mom I’ll be back before eleven, yeah?”

_“Kaaaaaaaaaaay. Good night, dad. Love you,”_ Axel said, giving a small yawn.

Reno couldn’t help the smile that escaped. “Night, twerp. Love you too. Don’t give your mom a hard time.” He hung up, slipping his phone inside his navy suit jacket and gave Tifa a meaningful look. “Whaddya want, you snoop?”

“A wife _and_ a child?” she asked with a smile on her face, her eyes full of questions and interest. “Who are you and what have you done with Reno?”

"Funny," he snorted dryly, “You’re awfully nosy.”

Tifa laughed a little. “We’re old. There’s not much drama in our lives… You’re the only one who still keeps things hush hush and I can bug.” She looked thoughtful for a moment. “Plus, I still haven’t met your wife and we only _suspected_ you had a kid. Now it’s confirmed and I want to know all about the kid. Am I ever gonna get to meet him? Her?”

Reno’s mouth quirked up slightly, but he felt his shoulders tense up as he spoke his next words carefully, “He’s seven and he’s got quite the attitude on him, unsurprising given who his parents are.”

He knew they only had so much time left before their past caught up to them. It affected him more than he expected as he watched the flash of _hurt_ cross her face when she realized the implication of Axel’s age. When her fists clenched tightly at her sides, he had fully expected her to deck him across the face. 

But then she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “You are _such_ a bastard. You could have at least told—”

“I didn’t find out till two years ago,” he cut in, unintentionally letting the bitterness seep into his words. He had never blamed Yuffie—she had been between a rock and a hard place, courtesy of him, but he had wished over the years that she had _told_ him instead.

Her eyes widened in surprise as her mouth let out a small breath.

“She left without tellin’ me.”

“Because we were getting married,” she finished softly for him, a look of comprehension dawning over her eyes. “And when you found out about the child, you left.”

“Pretty fucked up, huh?” He said dryly.

She didn’t speak for a while as she processed the information, but finally, she looked at him almost sympathetically with a ghost of a smile. “When am I gonna meet this mysterious lady?”

He smirked. “You’ve met her already.”

Tifa punched his shoulder and he winced involuntarily at her strength, knowing she had intentionally put in more force than necessary for such a supposedly friendly action. “You’re _such_ a bastard.” She repeated, then paused for a moment before continuing. “But I’m serious. I still want to meet her, despite everything. It must have been hard on her too…” she trailed off with a thoughtful look on her face.

His heart lurched almost painfully because she had shown him more compassion than he ever deserved and not for the first time, he wished he had never hurt her and that none of this had happened.

“When she’s ready, I’ll let you know.”

* * *

There was a soft click as he opened the door and the dim nightlight illuminated his pale face and dark hair. He could never get used to his son’s sleeping face because it was so _peaceful_ and _still,_ so unlike how he was when he was awake and wrecking havoc everywhere he went. Leaning against the doorway, he didn’t doubt that he could stay here for hours just to watch him sleep.

He felt Yuffie wrap her arms around him from behind, nuzzling her nose against his back and taking a deep sniff. “I’ve missed this suit,” she admitted and he could picture her trademark impish grin on her face. “Did you have fun?”

“I told Tifa about Axel. She still wants to meet my wife, despite everythin’,” Reno told her as he straightened up and closed the door quietly, not wanting their conversation to wake up Axel, who tended to be a light sleeper.

Yuffie gave a small lopsided smile. “Nah. I’m good, thanks.”

“Think about it,” he insisted, turning around and cupping her face with his hands. “I know you miss them and I think she’ll be more acceptin’ than you think.”

She snorted. “Until she realizes our kid was conceived on her wedding day, you mean?” She stood on her tippy-toes and pulled his face down for a kiss. “Look, life right now is simple for me. I don’t have to worry about anything other than my work life and home life.”

“C’mon, Yuff. What’s the worst that could happen? We completely isolated ourselves from our friends for two years and if things don’t go well, we can do it again. But don’t you want to take the chance that you could have Tifa back in your life? Don’t you want to give _her_ that opportunity?” Reno ran his hands through his hair in frustration because Yuffie was always so stubborn and unwilling to relent and part of him knew that she was scared, but even so…

“Reno…” she murmured, her gaze lowered. “I don’t know if I’m ready. And plus, you have a good thing going right now and the last thing I wanna do is to ruin that.”

He tilted her head up and made her look into his eyes. “Yuffie. I haven’t told you because everytime I tried, you changed the topic. But you didn’t see her at your apartment that night. She was devastated when she realized you were gone. I’ve never seen her that way, and if I had to guess, it was how she reacted when Aerith died—how _you_ reacted when Aerith died.”

Yuffie froze. It was a low blow—he knew that even fourteen years later, she could still remember the shock and horror when Sephiroth had impaled Aerith through with the Masamune. He knew she could still remember her own cries and sobs, and feel the incredible sense of loss.

“If there was a chance that Aerith was still alive and that you could see her again, would you want that chance?” Reno asked, his eyes boring into hers.

Yuffie’s eyes glazed over and she shot him a small glare. “Of _course_ I would love to see her again. But she didn’t sleep with _you_ on our wedding day, cause if she did, I might’ve killed her myself.” Her shoulders sagged just slightly. “But I know what you mean.”

“Next Tuesday? The bar’s closed and I’m off.”

She sighed, her head burrowing into the hollow of his throat. “What is it with you and bad decisions that I inevitably make _because_ of you?”

It wasn’t a no.

“Speakin’ of bad decisions,” Reno started, his voice lowered and he could see Yuffie’s body tense with wariness. He tilted her head to the side, his lips grazing the side of her neck _just there_ and she let out a shuddering breath. When she didn’t push him away, he continued to trail tender kisses down the sides of her slender neck. He doted on her nape, nipping gently at her collarbone, wondering how long it would take her to become vocal, forcing them to leave the confines of the hallway.

But suddenly, she pulled away and looked at him, her eyes half-lidded with undisguised desire but also suspicion. “What bad decisions are you thinking of now, Reno?” she asked, her voice a little breathless.

His fingers slipped underneath her loose t-shirt and brushed her bare midriff, causing her to shiver slightly and he couldn’t stop the smirk from appearing on his face. “I’ve been workin’ for Bossman for a few months now.” His other hand cupped her rear, his thumb drawing patterns over her shorts and he watched as her eyes darken and he didn’t think he could ever get used to her reacting to his touches.

“Get to the point,” she said, attempting to keep her voice calm as her hands snuck up to the nape of his neck to entangle her fingers in his hair.

His smirk widened as his hand snuck up higher under her shirt and he heard her breath hitch. “I’ve got job security now and we’ve got quite a bit of savings in our account.”

“I’m either gonna throttle you or jump you if you don’t hurry up and say what’s on your mind, Reno,” she gritted out, one of her hands unthreading from his hair and lowering to the front of his pants.

He closed his eyes, hissing slightly in pleasure before sharing what had been on his mind for months. “Axel’s been askin’ for a sibling.”

Her breath exhaled suddenly as her eyes grew wide, her body frozen in disbelief. “W-what?”

“Babies aren’t gonna make themselves if you stop, y’know,” Reno grunted out as he lifted her up, her hands automatically grabbing his shoulders, her legs wrapped naturally around him and he began to make their way towards their bedroom. “Unless you planned for me to do all the work?”

Yuffie smacked him on the arm gently before she cupped his face and kissed him deeply. “You want another kid? With me?”

Reno looked offended as he glared at her. “Who the fuck else am I gonna have a kid with, you brat?”

She giggled. “That’s not what I meant and you know it, you big fat turkey. You want another one?”

He paused in his steps as he looked at his wife and he couldn’t help the small excited grin from escaping. “I do. I feel like I kinda missed a lot, with me missin’ Axel’s first five years, y’know?” he said, a little regretfully. He had long accepted that fact, but even so, it hurt seeing pictures of his first bath, his first steps, his first day of school and he had wished so many times he had forced Yuffie to run away with him all those years ago. “But only if you wanna. I know it was tough for you the first time 'round.”

She nodded, her head tilted, deep in thoughts. “It was. But I was also alone and all the way up North.” Her fingers curled around his hair, a small smile on her face. “But you’ll be here this time. And it’ll be a lot less stressful. I wasn’t aware how much money I needed and while I funneled some out of my account, I wish I had taken some more. Working till I needed to give birth was one of the worst things I had ever had to do.”

His gaze turned sorrowful and he didn’t need to let her know that he wished he had been there for her, because she knew. “It won’t be like that this time,” he promised, kissing her cheeks as he lowered her gently onto the bed, laying on his side beside her. “You won’t even have to work anymore.”

“I might take you up on that offer, at least for the first few years until they go to school,” Yuffie murmured before her eyes grew playful. “Regardless, I think we should get some practice in.”

Reno’s eyes glowed down at her in adoration. “You wanna try then?”

“I’m gonna throw my pills out first thing tomorrow. In the meantime, we still have our clothes on,” she said with a grin.

He chuckled. “Don’t worry, babe. I’ll get right on that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy! One more chapter to come :)


	6. Yuffie

The day that Yuffie had dreaded for days had finally arrived. Reno had messaged Tifa last week asking if she was free for brunch on Tuesday morning since the bar was closed and she had responded instantly, agreeing to the time after recommending a place.

Yuffie wasn’t ready to see her friend after eight years, especially since her friend thought she was  _ dead, _ and would now realize that not only had she faked her death, she had also  _ slept with her fiancé. _

She groaned into her hands as Reno looked up from his position on the bed, opening mocking her with his dancing eyebrows. “Why did I agree to this, Reno? I’m  _ so not ready _ and she’s gonna  _ hate _ me. Omigawdddd…”

“You should keep your hair down more,” Reno suggested unhelpfully. “You look hot.”

She shot him a glare. “I’m gonna fricken murder you, ya know.”

“Not if you want another kid, brat,” he retorted snarkily as his attention returned back to scrolling on his phone.

Yuffie ignored him and slipped on a yellow sundress that she had bought and  _ hated,  _ but she had to admit that it looked good on her. She twirled around and grinned confidently at the mirror and when she noticed the way Reno was looking at her, she wriggled her eyebrows at him playfully.

“If I didn’t want you to be going, I would be taking it off you right now,” he muttered.

She hummed, “That’s what got us in this problem in the first place, Turkey.”

“You can’t tell me you don’t like your life right now,” Reno countered with a drawl.

And he wasn’t wrong. 

In the years before she had ran away, living such a normal life had never even crossed her mind even though for years, she had secretly craved it because she had dreaded the role of the Empress so much. Granted, she wouldn’t mind a little more excitement in her life right now because she definitely missed saving the world and working for the WRO, she was content with her life and was glad that she had made the choice to leave. She wasn’t sure she could have been a good Empress for Wutai and she wasn’t sure she’d be able to survive the politics and boredom. And while her pregnancy had been unexpected and there were days where she had wanted to give up, she had never once regretted having Axel. For a long time, Axel had been her reason to wake up in the morning, to go to work, to  _ live _ and  _ survive. _ And then Reno had come into her life and made it everything she had dreamed a normal life should be.

“I love what we have, Reno,” she admitted with a smile.

He was staring at her, his lips quirked up. “I do too.”

Yuffie settled on her usual clothes instead, feeling like the sundress would make her feel more ill at ease than necessary. She threw on a sleeveless navy blouse and a pair of white denim shorts and handed Reno the piece of thin pink ribbon before sitting on the edge of the bed.

Reno rolled his eyes as he brushed through her long dark tresses with his fingers. “Your hair’s getting long and this pink clashes with  _ everything. _ ”

Her eyes softened gently as Reno finished tying up her hair and flicked the ponytail over to the front of her shoulder. “I know," she whispered as she watched the pink clash against her navy top. "It always stood out like a sore thumb."

* * *

They were back at the same mall where they had run into Tifa. Yuffie wished that the walk from the parking lot would be longer, but the elevator ride up to the 10th floor had taken what felt like seconds and before she knew it, she was standing at the entrance of the restaurant.

She could feel Reno’s hand pushing her lower back gently towards the doorway, but her legs seemed to have stopped working. Beside her, her husband sighed slightly. “You’re the one who wanted to meet alone. Didya want me to come with you instead?”

Pressing her lips together tightly, she shook her head. “No. I should really do this alone.”

“I’ll walk around. Just lemme know when you’re done, alright?” He removed his hand from her back and placed them back in his pockets, nudging her slightly with his elbow to get her going.

“‘Kay,” she said, her voice sounding so small to her own ears. “You sure she won’t like, roundhouse kick my ass?”

Reno chuckled. “You can defend yourself. Plus, she’s got months to prep herself.”

“But she doesn’t know it’s  _ me,” _ Yuffie said, a little crazed, “I was her  _ best friend  _ and I slept with her—”

He placed his finger on her mouth, “Try not to announce it to the world, yeah? It’s just a  _ tad _ shameful. You’ll be  _ fine. _ I’m leavin’ now, cause you’ll just keep stallin’ by talkin’ to me.”

Before he could turn away, her hands pulled his face down to hers forcefully and she kissed him deeply, desperately. She looked up at him, her eyes bright and there were so many words she wanted to say to him, but she settled on the simplest ones. “I hope you realize I’m only doing this cause I love you.”

“You’re doin’ this cause you want Tifa in your life,” Reno reminded her instead. “But I love you. And now ya really needa get goin’.” And before she could get another word in, he pushed her towards the restaurant again, giving her a light swat on the rear in the process.

Yuffie stuck her tongue out childishly, but squared her shoulders and strode towards the hostess. After giving her Tifa’s name, the hostess began to lead her to their table and she couldn’t help but stare at the view of the restaurant. She had known that the mall was built on the outskirts of Edge, but she hadn’t realized how close to the ocean they were and she felt a pang of homesickness from seeing the expanse of water. 

The hostess opened the doors to the balcony and before they could go farther, Yuffie placed her hand on her shoulder after noticing a single occupied table. “I’ve got this. Thanks.” 

The hostess walked away, nodding, slightly confused.

Yuffie took a deep breath, staring at the figure of a woman who had once been her best friend, who she had missed so terribly the last eight years, who she had betrayed. But even so, she couldn’t stop the small sliver of hope because Reno was right. Tifa was the most compassionate and forgiving woman she knew and if Reno had talked to her already and she hadn’t given him a beating, Yuffie was sure Tifa wouldn’t kill her either.

She watched her back for long moments, not for the first time wondering what Reno had seen in her instead because Tifa was so  _ perfect _ it hurt being next to her.

As she approached, she noticed that Tifa had her pair of earphones on, which explained why she had been able to get so close without her knowing. Yuffie took one last breath and laid her hand on her shoulder.

Tifa ripped her headphones out of her ears and stood up, eyes shining with joy as she extended her hand and Yuffie felt such a strong twinge of regret at that very moment.

"Oh, hi Kimiko! I’m Ti…” she trailed off, her eyes furrowing now, darting to her hair and eyes and apparel.

And while Yuffie would be lying if she said she wasn’t enjoying the confused spectacle, she decided to come to her rescue anyways. She gave her the most sheepish grin she could before muster. 

“Hi Teef. It’s been a while.”

“...Yuffie?” she whispered in disbelief. “What…”

Yuffie swallowed the lump that had formed, knowing that if she didn’t get her apology out right away, she would never be able to because she felt the tears in her eyes and the sob at the back of her throat. “I am  _ so, so, so sorry.  _ More sorry than you could ever possibly think I am and I wish it had never happened. Not that way anyways."

"It  _ was  _ you," she breathed out in quiet incredulousness, "That night at the engagement party. On the roof." Tifa's hands held onto Yuffie's shoulders in a tight grip, her gaze travelling up and down her figure before she shook her head in confusion, blinking. "You're  _ alive.” _

“I’m alive,” Yuffie affirmed with a small smile. “I’ve just been in hiding this whole time.”

And then Tifa wrapped her arms firmly around Yuffie in the tightest embrace she had ever received and the younger woman snuck her trapped hands around the martial artist’s waist. Without warning, Tifa started crying and without meaning to, at the sound of her friend's sobs, Yuffie began weeping too.

After what seemed like hours, Tifa sniffed. “Tell me everything that’s happened, Yuffie." Her hands tried to wipe away the tears that wouldn’t stop coming as she sat down, trying to give the semblance of normality.

Yuffie couldn’t help but laugh slightly as she sat down opposite of her. “Reno said you would be your usual understanding self and I didn’t believe him.” She blew her nose into the napkin. “Sorry I’m a blubbering mess.”

“Me too,” Tifa said with a smile, her eyes swollen and red. "Now tell me what you’ve kept from me the last eight years.”

The ninja nodded readily, having been preparing for this part of the conversation since Reno had decided to go back to his old job months ago. It was not the full truth and it was riddled with lies, but it was a version of the story that both Reno and her could both accept because the truth would not only hurt them, but hurt Tifa. In the end, they were selfish and had grown fond of this life in Edge too much—they weren’t ready to leave because of mistakes made almost a decade ago.

“Eight years ago, Godo called me and it just so happened to be at your engagement party. I was so pissed off that I ended up going up to the rooftop to take a breather and when I found Reno there, we fought like usual and he kissed me to shut me up. I was so surprised I ran down and that’s when you caught me…”

And while she still felt guilty that it wasn’t the real story, Yuffie knew she would spend the rest of her life making it up to Tifa. For now, Tifa had begun to forgive her and it was a good start to rebuilding their friendship.

* * *

Yuffie stifled a yawn as she covered her mouth with her hands, leaning her head into Reno’s shoulder as her eyes wandered the familiar bar that she had spent every evening in at one point in time. His arms wrapped around her shoulders naturally and she couldn’t help but flutter her eyes shut, her eyelids feeling so much heavier than normal. Just as she was about to fall asleep, she felt Reno jostle her slightly.

“You fallin’ asleep, Yuff?” he asked gently as his arms tightened protectively around her. “Let’s head home.”

She could merely shake her head, so fatigued that she couldn’t even open her eyes as she mumbled back her response, “‘m fine.” At the sound of his chuckles, she continued, “I never get to come out, so let me hang out!”

“I’m not sure this is considered ‘hanging out’, Yuffie,” Reeve’s pleasant voice responded.

She couldn’t help the small smile that crossed her lips. The last six months since she had met Tifa for lunch had been an emotional roller coaster, not to mention planning individual ways to reveal to her friends that she didn't die was equally fun. Her dad was still blissfully unaware that she was still alive and kicking and she had decided that it would stay that way until someone let it slip or until she was ready to face him.

“I’m pregnant and  _ tired _ and I have a really nice pillow right here,” Yuffie answered with a grin as she snuggled up even closer, her eyes still closed, but her ears were still listening to the constant buzz of conversation of people she  _ knew. _ “Plus,” she added softly, “I’ve missed  _ this  _ so much.”

“We’re glad you’re back,” the Commissioner said earnestly.

“Me too,” she said as she covered another yawn.

She could feel Reno straightening up in his seat and slipping his arm under her knees. “We’re headin’ out. You’re about to pass out and we needa say g’night to Axel before we go.” And then he stood up, carrying her bridal style.

“But it’s only nine,” she whined juvenilely, her eyes opening briefly to look at the clock as her hands clutched at the lapels of his suit jacket reflexively. Nevertheless, she waved goodbye at her friends before Reno walked her up towards the guest room that she had once claimed as her own many, many years ago.

“You good to stand?” he asked and only after he got her affirmation did he let her down gently. 

She stumbled for half a second before catching herself and looked at Reno, her hands on the door handle. “Are you sure he’ll be okay by himself here tonight?”

He threaded his fingers through her dark silky hair before tilting her head up to kiss her. “He’s  _ eight _ and he’s lookin’ forward to the summer carnival that Tifa and Rude promised to take him to. He’ll be  _ fine. _ ”

But even so, she couldn’t help but worry. It would be the first night she would ever be spending apart from Axel and she couldn’t help with her own apprehension, even though she knew her child would be fine. Axel had basically fallen asleep within minutes of his head hitting the pillow, not fearing the fact that his parents wouldn't be with him at all throughout the entire night.

“It’ll be good for him. He’ll have to share mom soon.” His hands caressed her bulging stomach tenderly. At least he knew that this was hard for her. “He needs to get used to Aunt Tifa and Uncle Rude so he can bug them. Plus, we’ll meet ‘em at the carnival as soon as your doc appointment’s over, alright?”

“Okay,” she conceded, knowing they were all good points because they had discussed this multiple times already. She looked into his eyes, so full of affection for  _ her _ and she didn't think she would ever get used to it.

And now they had come a full circle, still at Seventh Heaven, the rooftop just above their heads.

She couldn’t stop the small impish grin from showing before whispering to him, “I’m secretly glad we’re both great at making terrible decisions.”

Reno snickered. “Let’s try not fuckin’ up so much anymore, yeah?” She gave a hum of agreement before turning the knob and right as she was about to step into the room, his hand brushed against the small of her back. “Since we’ve got the apartment to ourselves tonight, I’ve been reading up on positions for pregnant women cause I’ve always been curious…”

Casting a sultry gaze over her shoulder, she chortled quietly. “You’re such a pervy old man.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And this is the end to this particular universe… I think. ‘Infidelity’ was supposed to be a short one-shot, which became a short multi-chaptered fic and because it didn’t end super happily (because life rarely does, but this is fanfic dammit), I decided to add another six chapters for it to be fluffy. Go figure. Hope you enjoyed the ride!
> 
> Also, the upload of this fic marks 100k+ words uploaded since June 2020 after 10+ years of hiatus. Woohoo! :) Thank you for staying and reading. Much love <3


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